The Positive and Negatives

[Van wink 2,994]

Tactically we were a bit naive today when it comes to Jonno.

He was the go to man for all Ruddy''s kicks and won very little in the air.

Palarse spotted this very early on, put one man in front of him and a second running in to challenge for the ball.

But we just kept on doing it and kept losing it.

We are much better playing out through midfield.

[Yorkshire Canary 118]

we could and should have got a point today against a decent side. The side was virtually the one that played at Wembley. It got us promoted BUT the defence was ordinary at best last season and we dropped shedloads of points at home last season as well. We do need some better quality up front and in defence to give us confidence about staying up, though this manager and current squad could still scrape survival anyway

[Tommo 51]

First 20 minutes was brilliant particularly the passing move when Whittaker got behind and Grabban almost scored.

We were more than a match for Palace and we managed for most parts to nullify their pacey counter with Zaha Puncheon etc

Neil will have learnt from today and no doubt 2-3 more signings on their ways to improve us. No doubt that today''s performance and endeavour was another league in comparison to the Hughton team totally bereft of ideas and confidence

Let''s keep getting behind the lads, first game and plenty of games and points to go

[Katie Borkins 1]

[quote user="mrs miggins"]And there was also me thinking "why is Whittaker drifting inside, he shouldn''t be drifting inside, he''s going to lose it...and yes he indeed has lost it."[/quote]

And there was me quoting examples of when Whitaker did good work, and there''s you coming back with generalisations. Just shows the need for a scapegoat runs deep.

[mrs miggins 0]

Would you also like me to congratulate him on nearly making an assist if it would mean you would stop making such naive comments as scapegoating Bor? You sound like LDC when he says that people can''t accept Martin is a better CB than RB, instead it merely just being an opinion.

So anyway. Open letter to Whittaker:

Well done Whitts for some of your passes had a fairly decent game out there today. If you could just sometimes think about the space behind you when you go gallivanting up the pitch when you don''t even have the ball that would be great. Also, when you do have the ball try not to cut inside because, as you well know, you lose it. Many thanks, Miggins.

[Monty13 2,234]

Can''t believe Whittaker is being called out for having a sh*t performance today, I wonder if I was watching the same game.

Had puncheon absolutely in his pocket until Pardew switched Zaha over, looked great going forward and carried a threat all game, cross of the match for that chance Grabban should have buried and unlucky not to get on the score sheet.

Struggled to deal with Zaha until Redmond came on to balence that flank (howson wasnt doing the defensive role required imo) and then kept the games best player quiet while still managing to get forward and offer a threat.

I swear Whittaker could single handedly win us a match and still get criticism on this board.

[mrs miggins 0]

Grabban has been questioned today, Johnson has been questioned today, Martin has been questioned today, Ruddy has been questioned today, Brady has been questioned today. Yet for some reason people feel like the victims when a bad word is said against Whitts. I understand that some people like Whitts and that fine, but please stop making him a victim because it''s just embarrassing

[Mr Jenkins 0]

I thought Whitts did ok today and as has been said the ball he put in for what should have been our first goal was spot on.

The whole team should carry the can for the Palace second goal, lack of awareness all round.

As for their third goal I don''t think it would hav happened if Jeromes'' perfectly good goal,had been allowed to stand, I think we would have gone on to win that game.

[Indy 3,300]

Whitts did ok going forward, defensively he goes missing and their first two gaols were because he wasn''t out right looking after his position!

Going forward Whitts looked great.

Negative for me was not playing the two players who won us promotion I the play offs and starting with a player who lost form in the last few months in Grabban!

Positives the way we passed and controlled the ball at times, great, our midfield can hold their own.

Negative, that back line just looks like it will concede three goals a game.